Mission
THE MISSION OF THE CATO INSTITUTE IS TO KEEP THE PRINCIPLES, IDEAS, AND MORAL CASE FOR LIBERTY ALIVE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS, WHILE MOVING PUBLIC POLICY IN THE DIRECTION OF INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY, LIMITED GOVERNMENT, FREE MARKETS, AND PEACE.
Public Charity
CATO INSTITUTE
CATO INSTITUTE, of WASHINGTON, DC, is a Public Charity tracked in Imperigo's IRS 990 database. The 2026 filing shows $69.2M in revenue, $50.6M in expenses, $213.7M in total assets. 269 publicly reported grants to this organization, totaling roughly $121.1M, appear in IRS filings.
EIN: 237432162
WASHINGTON, DC
Government & Public Administration
NTEE: W20
Latest filing: 2026
Total Revenue$69.2M
Total Expenses$50.6M
Total Assets$213.7M
Grant Records269
Funding Total$121.1M
Filing Years2022–2026
Where $100 goes at Cato Institute
How Cato Institute divides every $100 it spends, from its own Form 990 filings, averaged across 10 years.
$79
Programs
the work itself
$9
Management
running the organization
$12
Fundraising
raising the next dollar
Inside the $79 for programs
$48
Public policy & research
$20
Educational programs
$11
Communications & external affairs
Source: Form 990 filings with the IRS, latest fiscal year 2026. Shares are from the organization's reported expenses. Data by Imperigo; not affiliated with the IRS.
Sample Grants Received
$5,010,500
$50,000
ARTS AND CULTURE
$26,000
GENERAL SUPPORT
$14,120
GENERAL SUPPORT
$10,000
Showing up to 5 of 269 total records — full history available with membership.
Officers & Directors
SR VP FOR POLICY
Alexander Nowrasteh
DIRECTOR
Baron Bond
DIRECTOR (AS OF 10/18/2025)
Charles Sunderland
SR VP FOR LEGAL STUDIES
Clark Neily
DIRECTOR
David C Humphreys
DIRECTOR
Fred Young
Officer compensation and complete director data available with membership.
Top Grant Purposes
Financial Trends
| Year | Revenue | Expenses | Assets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $69.2M | $50.6M | $213.7M |
| 2025 | $62.8M | $47.4M | $190.5M |
| 2024 | $71.9M | $41.8M | $172.2M |
| 2023 | $57.7M | $37.7M | $135.0M |
| 2022 | $45.9M | $31.3M | $116.8M |
Between 2022 and 2026, reported annual revenue grew from $45.9M to $69.2M (+51%), with total assets most recently reported at $213.7M.
Interactive year-over-year charts and full filing details available with membership.